This is a bit long, but there are quite a few possibilities.

Posted: Monday, December 17, 2007 4:48 PM by Alan Boyle

Between the radiation-proof underwear and the glow-in-the-dark kitties (yes, yes, I know they're actually UV-fluorescent kitties), 2007 has been a banner year for weird science tales. That's fantastic for Cosmic Log - which, after all, was created to chronicle "the follies and mysteries of mankind." But which stories belong in the top 10 for weirdness? To resolve that question, we're going to need your help - so keep reading, then register your vote for the year's weirdest science story.

Here's how the Weird Science Awards work: You'll find a list of 30 stories below, organized chronologically. Feel free to review the nominees, then head over to this Web page and vote for the weirdest. If there's a weird science story that I've omitted from 2007, add it as a write-in comment. I'll even add your nomination to the official voting list if you get 10 other people to support it with their own comments.

The top five stories as of noon ET Jan. 2 will win the awards, along with another five stories chosen by editors at msnbc.com. We'll publish an online award gallery by mid-January - and if one of the stories you nominated ends up in the top 10, you'll be credited in the gallery. That's your payoff for helping us chronicle the scientific follies and mysteries of 2007.

And the nominees are:

Grave-sniffing breakthrough announced (Jan. 23)
Virgin Komodo dragon gives birth (Jan. 24)
Prehistoric Romeo and Juliet discovered (Feb. 6)
Pigeons flown by remote control (Feb. 27)
The world's most explosive tongue (March 6)
Porn fails to get panda in the mood (March 27)
Joan of Arc relic turns out to be a hoax (April 5)
Did T. rex taste like chicken? (April 12)
Melody deciphered in 'Da Vinci Code' chapel(May 2)
Radiation-proof undies marketed(May 22)
Nessie caught on tape? (June 1)
The real reason why chickens cross the road (July 10)
Backward research goes forward (July 17)
Checkers computer becomes invincible (July 19)
Poker-playing humans almost beaten at their own game (July 25)
Orbital billboard unveiled (Aug. 3)
Scientists talk to owls on cell phones (Sept. 7)
Activists want ape declared a person (Sept. 27)
See-through frogs created (Oct. 1)
Viagra cures hamsters' jet lag(Oct. 4)
Elephants run from bees (Oct. 8)
No sex for 40 million years? No problem (Oct. 12)
Meteorite sparks international flap(Oct. 19)
Some Neanderthals were redheads (Oct. 25)
Bloodsucking beast was just a coyote (Nov. 2)
Chimps smarter than college students? (Dec. 3)
Moon photo mystery solved (Dec. 4)
Mongolian 'Mickey Mouse' caught on tape (Dec. 10)
Rodents bred so they can't smell fear (Dec. 13)
Cloned cats that glow?! (Dec. 13)

Remember, if you don't see your favorite weird story listed here, you can always make a write-in nomination and get your friends to second it. For write-ins, use the comment box below. Make sure you register your preference using our ironically unscientific Live Vote before Jan. 2, by clicking on this link. You can also check back on the Live Vote to see how the balloting is shaping up. We'll declare our winners before the Iowa caucuses.

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OK, so you don't have to vote; but if I got them all coded right the links should take you to any of the original articles that look interesting to you. Or maybe we can have our own election right here. Pick your top choices.

Note that I omitted one link to a page that requires registration, and a couple that were duplicated within the header paragraphs; but you can use the first link to check those out if you feel you missed something, or to offer them a write-in. The first link will also give you links to the individual reports, so you can correct any that I messed up on.

Personally, they all look like pretty ordinary stuff to me, but then I've had quite a bit of contact with "scientists" over the years.

John